A lovely comforting dish, this pork casserole is cooked slowly with cider and stock in the oven. It's finished off with a good splash of cream and a sprinkling of crispy bacon lardons.
I love to serve it with creamy mashed potato for a dinner that has everyone asking for seconds!
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This is my kind of Friday night dinner when it's been raining and miserable all day and you just want something really tasty to warm you up from the inside.
I'd contentedly scoff every bit of this dish, but that sauce over mashed potatoes? Yes, I could eat that for the rest of my life and not get bored.
The meat is browned and then slow cooked with stock and cider until lovely and tender. I like to chuck a few veggies in - just to make it a little bit healthier, and then it's served on creamy mashed potatoes, and finished off with crispy fried bacon lardons or pancetta.
Sometimes referred to as Somerset Pork casserole (which is generally made using a dry Somerset cider, and with the addition of apples in the sauce - this is my version of Somerset Pork Casserole) or Normandy Pork (made using french cider or brandy, apples, crème fraîche and bacon lardons, sometimes dijon mustard too), I like to pick a few flavours from both. So for me it's:
- Dry cider (alcoholic version)
- Cream rather than crème fraîche (sometimes crème fraîche can split, so I prefer to use cream - make sure it's double/heavy cream though - the higher the fat content, the less likely it is to split.)
- Crispy bacon lardons - Often these are crisped up, then cooked in the casserole with the pork, but I prefer to sprinkle them on at the end so they retain all the crispy saltiness.
- I sometimes make it with apple slices. If you do, just add them for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking so they don't go mushy.
📋 What do we need?
- I use pork shoulder steaks because they have a little bit of fat running through them - which keeps the pork lovely and tender. Cut off any large sections of fat, then slice the rest into bite-size chunks
- You can also use a boneless pork shoulder joint and chop into bite-size chunks if you prefer.
- Cider - this is alcoholic dry cider. You can replace with dry apple juice or a mixture of dry apple juice and stock (in addition to the rest of the stock in the recipe) if you prefer.
- Mushrooms - use your favourite. I like chestnut mushrooms, as they have a nice flavour.
- Bacon - you can use lardons/diced-pancetta, or chopped up streaky bacon.
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP Rather than adding the cooked bacon lardons in the dish, sprinkle them on at the end. This helps them to retain their salty crispness. The heat of the casserole will warm them back up if they've cooled too much.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Potatoes! Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Potatoes with garlic, Crispy Roast Potatoes, or perfect Jacket Spuds
- Garlic Green Beans or Roasted Broccoli or some buttered kale
- Fresh Homemade Bread or lovely Garlic Bread
- It would even work with Rice or Pasta!
So long as you're mopping up that lovely sauce with something - that's the main thing. You really don't want that sauce to go to waste!
This pork casserole is a really good meal to make ahead and then reheat later. It's also great when you're cooking for lots of people - a large batch that everyone can spoon out onto their plates is ideal. Plus it's easily made gluten free too (using gluten-free stock and cider).
🍲 More fantastic Pork recipes
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Creamy Slow Cooked Pork Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 500 g (1.1lbs) diced pork shoulder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp celery salt - optional – I find it adds a nice savoury flavour
- 1 onion - peeled and chopped
- 12 baby mushrooms - chopped in half
- 2 carrots - peeled and chopped
- 250 ml (1 cup) dry cider (hard cider if you're in the USA)
- 420 ml (1+¾ cups) chicken or vegetable stock - (water + 2 stock cubes is fine)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 150 g (½ cup) bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon
- 1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
- 60 ml (¼ cup) double (heavy) cream
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
To Serve
- Mashed potatoes
- Steamed kale or other green veg
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F.
- Heat 1 ½ tbsp of the oil in a large casserole dish, over a high heat, until hot.
- Add the pork, salt, pepper and celery salt and brown on all sides - it should take around 6-8 minutes.500 g (1.1lbs) diced pork shoulder, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp celery salt
- Turn the heat down to medium and add in the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion softens.1 onion
- Add the mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes.12 baby mushrooms
- Add the carrots, cider, stock and dried thyme. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Stir and scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.2 carrots, 250 ml (1 cup) dry cider (hard cider if you're in the USA), 420 ml (1+¾ cups) chicken or vegetable stock, ½ tsp dried thyme
- Place a lid on the pan, and place in the oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours*, until the pork flakes apart when you press it with a fork. Check a couple of times during the last hour of cooking and add a splash of water or stock if it's starting to look a little dry.
- Just before the casserole comes out of the oven, heat the remaining ½ tbsp oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon lardons until crispy. Turn off the heat.150 g (½ cup) bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon
- Remove the casserole from the oven and stir in the cornstarch and water mixture to thicken, if needed.1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp cold water
- Stir in the cream. Taste and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle on the bacon lardons.60 ml (¼ cup) double (heavy) cream
- Serve with green veg on top of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle on a little chopped parsley before serving.2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Video
✎ Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first published in March 2017. Updated June 2022 with some new photos, video and some housekeeping.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Equipment:
In order to make this Creamy Slow Cooked Pork Casserole recipe you will need:
- A good Kitchen knife. I have recently bought this Dalstrong one and love it.
- Chopping Board
- Casserole pan
- Measuring Spoons
- A frying pan/skillet
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
- Potato Ricer HINT: Using a potato ricer makes the smoothest mash potato you will every taste. I recommend getting one!
Jeanette Harrison says
This was soooo tasty and so easy to make.
Ragnheiður says
I love this recipe. This is so creamy and the cider does the trick. I live alone and this recipe lasts me for days.
Karen says
Made it for the first time and was absolutely delicious
Fran says
I want to make double the quantity of this recipe, does it require a longer cooking time?
Fabulous recipe
Angie Murphy says
Made this fir the first time last weekend. It was absolutely delicious. Will be making it again tomorrow, looks like a new weekend favourite. I added apple, french beans 40 mins from the end with the cream and cornflour mix and added a few dumplings 10 mins later.
Meg says
I made this with a few adaptations since I don't have an oven. In place of the casserole dish, I used my cast iron skillet on the stovetop.
I used 1 lb of pork butt (which turned out to be plenty for two people with leftovers to spare) and browned that, cubed, in my cast iron skillet. Once that was done, I poured it into my crockpot.
I skipped step 3 since I don't like onions and went straight to step 4 while omitting the mushrooms in that step (also don't like). Once that was all finished, I poured everything into the crockpot over the pork and cooked on low for 6 hours.
While that was stewing, I cooked the bacon in the cast iron skillet then mixed it in with everything else in the crockpot in the last hour. I used higher quality bacon from the butcher counter that was thick and marbly -- it very much lent to the overall flavor.
In step 6, I removed about a cup of the broth from the crockpot so that I'd have a denser sauce, and I about doubled the cornstarch mixture.
It all turned out absolutely heavenly! The pork was extremely tender and flavorful, and the carrots were cooked perfectly and really held the flavor of the cider quite nicely. I used Angry Orchard Crisp Apple hard cider -- excellent flavor!
I made mashed potatoes using Yukon Golds and left the skin on a few of the potatoes, then I mashed while adding about a quarter cup of melted butter at a time. They turned out perfectly. I also made Brussels sprouts and cooked them in the bacon fat from earlier; also delightful.
This was the first meal I've ever cooked for my boyfriend, and it was a hit! Thanks, Nicky!
Nicky Corbishley says
Thanks Meg - your version sounds magnificent 🙂
Emma Mellng says
Hi!! I’ve made this recipe many times, myself and my partner adore it. I have been cooking it in the oven, as the instructions say. But, I’ve just bought my first slow cooker, and I’m eager to do this in it. My question however, my slow cooker only has low, high and warm settings. The side note however say, cook on low for 6-8 hours or medium for 5-6 on medium, would this be the high setting? Or do other cookers have a low, medium and high? I’d just like to clarify as the 5-6 hours would be more suitable. Many thanks!! X
Elaine says
This is the first time I have left a review on a recipe for one reason - its amazing. We always do this in slow cooker and the house smells amazing when its cooking. So easy, so tasty, highly recommend
Kate says
This sounds lovely. I don’t often cook pork, what would you say would be the best to use diced pork shoulder or loin ?
Thanks
David Robinson says
We absolutely love this meal and are greatful to you for submitting the recipe.
We do have added a couple of twists to suit the size/taste of our family.
Swapped onion for leek, went to 2KG of diced pork and doubled the amount of vegetables and cream.
The corn flour wasn't needed as I boil off some of the excess liquid before adding the cream and it comes out beautifully.
Tony Clewett says
Delicious and easy to make particularly in a slow cooker. Perfect for a tasty winter’s meal.
Joan says
Excellent!! Tasted as good as it looks
Emma says
I am not a keen cook & don't cook often but I fancied this & did this recipe in the slow cooker. Stuck to the ingredients with a few slight changes & it is delicious. Really easy to prepare & make, plenty of it & really creamy. Will definitely cook again really enjoyed it.
Katie says
A lot of luck needed here, no cider so mixed in apple juice and cider vinegar. Hoping I haven't destroyed this dish!
Chris Corbishley says
Hi Katie,
I hope it worked out ok for you?
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Lorraine says
Absolutely scrummy! Really could not believe how tasty this casserole was. So economical, can't wait to make it again! Looking forward to trying your other recipes 🙂